ESU professor and graduate honored for following King's lead

Dr. Jyh-Hann Chang, an assistant professor of psychology at East Stroudsburg University, and Erica Marie Mendez, a December 2012 ESU graduate, are the university recipients of this year's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award.

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Posted Jan. 21, 2013 at 12:01 AM

Posted Jan. 21, 2013 at 12:01 AM

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BOLT ART CONTEST AWARDS

In addition to the presentation of the Gertrude Mary Smith Boddie Scholarship Award winner and the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards, Julianna V. Bolt Art Contest Awards will be presented to local high school students for their submissions.

The award was named after the late Julianna V. Bolt, an ESU accounting assistant from 1994-96. Eighty-five contest entries were received from students representing East Stroudsburg High School South, East Stroudsburg High School North, Stroudsburg High School, Pleasant Valley High School and Pocono Mountain High School West.

The winners of this year's contest are: first place, Gary Tuzinkiewicz, East Stroudsburg High School South (teacher, Ms. McIlvaine); second place, Geena Quijano, East Stroudsburg High School North (teacher, Ms. Tischler); and, third place, Cassidy Roos, Pleasant Valley High School (teacher, Ms. Rostock).

Dr. Jyh-Hann Chang, an assistant professor of psychology at East Stroudsburg University, and Erica Marie Mendez, a December 2012 ESU graduate, are the university recipients of this year's Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Award.

The criteria for the award include, among other qualities, demonstrated espousal of the principles of King, such as leadership, courage and service to the community.

Customarily, two Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Awards are presented each year, one to a community member and one to an ESU employee or student. The community award was not presented this year.

Chang will receive the faculty award. In addition to his position as a faculty member, Chang is also a clinical psychologist, board-certified in both rehabilitation and sports psychology.

He completed a postdoctoral fellowship in gerontology at Gainesville Veterans Administration. He holds a Master of Science degree and doctorate in clinical psychology from the University of Connecticut and a Master of Arts degree in counseling psychology from Beaver College (now Arcadia University) in Glenside.

He also earned a Bachelor of Science degree in biology from Ursinus College in Collegeville.

Chang has overcome many obstacles during his educational journey. Probably the most critical was prior to his sophomore year at Ursinus. While on vacation in Ocean City, Md., Chang had a life-altering surfing accident that rendered him tetraplegic, with both legs paralyzed and limited use of his hands.

This disability served as the impetus for Chang to take the isolation out of physical disability for others like him.

With the help of some of his colleagues at New Mexico State University, and thanks to grant funding by the National Science Foundation, Chang helps connect people with disabilities to careers in computing fields through a series of workshops called Project ENABLE.

According to Chang, this program aims to give people with disabilities more exposure to computer science, recognizing both the need for workers with computer skills and the need of the disabled to develop job skills.

As a university professor, Chang has developed numerous courses including "The Psychology of Adjustment," "Lifespan Development," and "Infant and Child Development for Teachers."

In 2010, he received the Ralph Vitello Award for Disability Services and continues to be an inspiration to his students, his colleagues and the community.

Chang has delivered papers and presentations on topics ranging from diversity and stress management to disabilities and mental health. He has also received grant funding for a number of his projects relative to service learning, disability training and adaptive sports.

He is a member of the American Board of Sports Professionals, the American Board of Professional Psychology (Rehabilitation Psychology), the American Psychological Association's Committee on Disability Issues for Psychologists and the Eastern Psychological Association.

Chang also serves the community as a volunteer for the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, chair of the Northeastern Advisory Committee of Allied Services, a greeter and host of the soup kitchen at the United Methodist Church in Stroudsburg, and as a volunteer for Family Promise, a nonprofit organization that assists families who are homeless in Monroe County.

The ESU Student Award will be presented to Erica Marie Mendez, who received her bachelor of arts in fine arts/vocal performance. Described as an "extremely gifted singer," she used music to bring together people of diverse backgrounds, a mission she remained committed to since coming to ESU in fall 2010.

Seeking to embrace the diversity of ESU, Mendez has performed with the Concert Choir, in the musical revues "Broadway Memories" and "A Grand Night for Singing," in contemporary dance performances and in several voice recitals. She has endeavored to get many students of color to attend these events.

She was awarded a Board of Governors Multicultural Scholarship; the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drum Major for Justice Advocacy Competition sponsored by the National Bar Association, the nation's oldest and largest association of black lawyers and judges; the 2010 Overall Artistic Performance Talent Hunt Competition Award from Omega Psi Phi Fraternity; the Council of Spanish-Speaking Organization's Youth Leader Award; the National Liberty Museum Young Hero Award; the Philadelphia Commission on Human Relations Artistic Award; the Lights of Liberty Vocal Award; Hispanic Youth Showcase Award and numerous others.

Mendez is an artist and activist who seeks socio-economic justice and political leverage for the underrepresented.

She has performed at many venues, where she advocates for social and economic justice. In addition, Mendez, who is bilingual, is instrumental in assisting and registering new voters whom she teaches about the political process.

She works at Philadelphia's National Constitution Center. Her other passion, in addition to music, is law. She plans to continue uniting and motivating people through music, and expects a law degree will further her goal to help those unfairly denied equality and justice. She is preparing for the LSATs so she can apply for law school entrance.